Since Kern County is undergoing the process of redistricting this year in accordance with the 2020 U.S. Census data, the County of Kern is holding a series of redistricting public hearings to receive public input on where lines should be drawn.
The next public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m.
The purpose of redistricting is to redraw district lines to reflect Kern’s current population.
“(It) is vital to ensuring each district is representative of the constituents that live therein,” the County said in a news release.
Kern County is asking community members, stakeholders, and organizations to attend the next public hearing.
The hearing will be both in person at the Kern County Board Chambers (1115 Truxtun Ave.) and virtual. Those watching online can watch on YouTube at www.youtube.com/c/officialkerncounty. Participants can also call in (audio only): 1 (831) 296-3421, enter phone conference ID: 995 496 641#
For Spanish translation, enter conference ID: 231 968 088#
Another way to participate in the redistricting process is by drawing maps. The United States Census Bureau will deliver the demographic information essential to the redistricting process by Sept. 30, 2021.
Before that date, the public is encouraged to practice using the County’s map-drawing software by printing the provided maps using the online District R map drawing tool.
Those interested can find more information at districtr.org/tag/kern_county to print files and draw desired districts. Maps can be scanned and submitted to redistricting@kerncounty.com or dropped off at any Kern County Library during their regularly scheduled hours of operation.
Lastly, members of the public are encouraged to fill out a Community of Interest Form to also be considered in the redistricting process. A Community of Interest (COI) is a group of people that share common social or economic interests, live in a geographically definable area, and should be included within a single district for purposes of effective and fair representation in future elections.
